Buffing wheel



Jim. 30, 1946. I c; A. sAYERs' 2,188,375

BUFFING WHEEL- Filed Jan. 20, less- Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE BUFFING WHEEL Clay A. Sayers, Detroit, Mich. Application January 20, 1936, Serial No. 59,976

16 Claims.

This invention relates to bumng wheels and the method of their manufacture.

The invention has for its general object the provision of a laminated bufiing wheel built up from radially pleated textile fabric units, the

units being preferably formed from a plurality of serially united annularly cut blanks reduced to the circumference of a single unit by the pleating, each annularly cut blank being of such integral extent as to provide the material for the plural plies of at least one pleat and preferably several consecutive pleats, whereby the threads of the fabric in the several plies of a pleat intersect the periphery of the unit at different angles. This prevents the fabric from ravelling at the edges, it makes the bufling wheel work faster and it eliminates the breaking down of the layer of composition which is applied to the periphery of the buiiing wheel.

I! Another object of the invention in a buffing wheel composed of units folded as above indicated is the provision of pockets in the pleats between the plural plies which receive and hold the bufling compound and, also form air ducts l8 assisting in maintaining the bufling wheel cool.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a bufling wheel built of radially pleated textile fabric units as described in which the radial folds of one pleat substantially coincide with the so radial folds of an adjacent pleat thereby making the density of the unit uniform throughout the circumferential extent of the buff and also uniform from the periphery toward the center of the wheel.

Still another object of the invention in a buffing wheel having the construction as described is that the cloth in adjacent pleats lies in different relative directions for example, some being on the true bias, some slightly less while others 40 extend straight, that is tosay, parallel to the median radius of the pleat.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of additional cooling features in the nature of apertures extending transversely 4 through the thickness 'of the units and of the builteup wheel. Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identic l parts:

Figurelisaplanviewofabuflmadeaccording to the principles of the present invention, one of the pleats being broken away to show the plural plies;

Figure 2 is a diametrical cross section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the 5 radially split annular textile fabric blanks;

Figure 4 represents a plurality, that is to say, three blanks serially united by their radial edges and partly 'folded in the formation of one of the units;

Figure 5 is a cross section showing the reverse arrangement of two adjacent units; and

Figure 6 is a radial cross section illustrating the function of the pockets as cooling instrumentalities.

Referring now in detail to the several figures the numeral l represents one of the blanks or elements from which the buffing wheel is fabricated, the same consisting of an annular piece of textile material such as muslin radially split as is indicated at 2. A plurality of these split blanks are stitched together along their radial edges. The number of blanks thus united is immaterial to the invention, but for the sake of example, three are shown in Figure 4 as being serially joined as at the seams 3, 4 and 5 to form an endless band 6, Since the blanks l are distorted from their circular shape in forming this endless band, the latter will normally lie in a series of undulations 'I. These only appear in an intermediate stage in the manufacture of the buff and do not characterize the finished article.

The endless band 6 is then reduced to the circumference of the single blank I by folding it 5 into pleats 8 along radial lines 9. The pleats may be of any angular value either wide or narrow, it being only essential that the length of the endless band 6 be reduced to one-third. Preferably the pleats are regular in size and so 40 folded that the radial folds of adjacent pleats substantially coincide as indicated at l0 and II in Figure 4. This arrangement makes the density of the unit uniform throughout the circumference of the same and uniform from the peripheral edge to the center, a feature of great value for as the buffing wheel wears away in diameter, its cutting speed remains undiminished due to its uniform density. The fact that the endless band 6 has been reduced to one-third of its original length means that each of the pleats 8 shall consist of three plies l2, l3, and

It will be readily understood that since the endlessbandiismadeupofthreeoftheannuli 56 pleat will not necessarily coincide with one of the-seams 3, 4 or 5.

It is a peculiarity incident to the pleating of an integral annular piece of fabric, that the threads of the fabric in the several plies of a fold do not coincide as to direction, but are disposed at different angles whereby in the completed part of the bufiing unit shown in Figure 4, the threads of the several plies intersect the periphery of the unit at different angles. This is illustrated in the hatched areas l5, l6 and I1, shown in Figure l.

The advantage of this construction is that tearing the cloth at the periphery of-the wheel is eliminated, ravelling discouraged, and the breaking down of the composition used in the bufilng and which is applied to the face of the wheel prevented, all of which factors make for longer life of the bufiing wheel.

The radial folding of the endless band 6 in the manner described causes adjacent sectors or folds to lie at different angles with respect to the warp and weft threads, for example, in the sector I8, Figure l, the warp and weft threads are diagonal to the median radius while in sector [9 one set of threads is perpendicular and the other parallel to the median radius and the other sectors show phases of direction of the warp and weft threads,

at angles in between.

This construction prevents the face of the buff from glazing, which prevents cutting, and leaves it open to the compound, eliminating entirely the necessity of raking out the face of the buff.

It is well known in the art that raking a buff at the face does materially shorten the life of the buff in that it reduces its size without increasing production.

- the receiving and circulation of a considerable quantity of cooling air.

For the purpose of producing a thick buff, it is preferred to place a plurality of the endless bands 6 in congruent relation and foldthem together, thus producing a pleat which has many plies. Regardless of how many plies may be included in one pleat, those which are made from a single integral annulus I. will bear a different direction relation as regards their warp and weft threads as in indicated at l5, l6 and I1 and the chances are very remote that any of the other plies will have a direction relation identical with these.

In placing the ply units together in the formation of the bufling wheel, it is important that the outer folds should be directed away from the direction of rotation of the buff wheel. In Figure 5 two outside units 22 and 23 are shown, the direction of rotation being indicated by the arrow and the free folds of the pleats being indicated by the reference numeral 24. The arrangement of the intermediate units is unimportant.

Figure 2 shows that it is desirable to insert a suitable spacer 25 between each unit or between groups of units, said spacer preferably terminating at quite a distance from the periphery of the buffing wheel so as to form a cooling pocket 25. The several units and spacers are preferably stitched together by spiral or concentric stitching 21 forming a stiff central portion or web for the bufling wheel. Auxiliary cooling means in the form of apertures 28 are provided, said apertures I extending transversely through the buffing wheel in the region included by the spacers 25 and outside of that portion of the bufling wheel which will be clamped to the shaft.

A single unit may be of any desired thickness depending upon the number of endless bands 6 that are employed, and as many units may be provided as the desired width of the bufling wheel may determine. Any number of annular blanks I may be sewn together along their radial edges to form the endless band 6, the number of blanks used determining the number of plies which will be formed in each pleat from one of the endless bands 6. a

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the pockets formed by the plies of a pleat not only constitute receptors for the compound which is applied from time to time to the periphery of the buffing wheel, but that they constitute air pockets materially assisting in the cooling of the bufling wheel and that the difference in the direction of the warp and weft threads of the plies of the pleat made from an integral portion of the endless band 6 not only prevents tearing and ravelling of the periphery of the wheel, but strikes the work being buffed at a different angle, effecting a much faster cutting of the work piece.

The fact that the warp and weft threads of the plies of a single fold are relatively angularly disposed as well as the feature that the warp and weft threads of consecutive sectors themselves run at different angles, prevents the free ends of the threads at the periphery of the bufiing wheel from being all combed in the same direction by the work piece and which ordinarily causes glazing of the surface of the buffing wheel so that it has to be raked, an operation which rapidly wears away the bufiing wheel. The angular relation of the warp and weft threads at the periphery also causes them to dovetail into the bufiing compound bonding it more firmly to the surface of the wheel than in other buffing wheel constructions.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of my invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the details of construction as described and illustrated are chiefly by way of example, and not to be construed as exhausting the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Method of making a buffing wheel unit comprising uniting serially into a band by their radial edges, a plurality of radially split textile fabric annuli, reducing the circumference of said band to the circumference of one of the annuli annuli by forming radial pleats in said band with the radial folds of one pleat substantially .coinciding with the radial folds of adjacent pleats.

3. Method of making a bufing 'vheel unit comprising stitching together serially into an endless band by their radial edges, a plurality of radially split textile fabric annuli, reducing the circumference of said band to the circumference of one of the annuli by forming radial pleats in said band with the radial folds of one pleat substantially coinciding with the radial folds of adjacent pleats.

4. Method of making a bufllng wheel unit comprising stitching together serially into an endless band by their radial edges, a plurality of radially, split fabric annuli, and reducing the circumference of said band to the circumeference of one of the annuliby forming regular radial pleats in said band with the radial folds of one pleat substantially coinciding with the radial folds of adjacent pleats.

5. Buffing wheel unit comprising a radially pleated annulus comprising a band constituted by a plurality of split textfle fabric annuli serial- 1y joined along their radial edges the warp and weft threads of adjacent annuli making an angle with one another at said joints, said band being reduced to the diameter of the bufling wheel by the pleating.

6. Bufllng wheel unit comprising a radially pleated annulus comprising a'band constituted by a plurality of split textile fabric annuli serially joined along their radial edges the warp and weft threads of adjacent annuli making an angle with one another at said joints, said band being .reduced to thediameter of the bumng wheel by the pleating, the tion circumferentially with pleat substantially coinciding with the upper fold of the preceding pleat.

. '1. Method of making a bailing wheel unit comprising stitching together serially into a band by their radial edges aplurali y of radially split textile fabric annuli, reducing the circumference of said band to the circumference of one of the annuli by forming radial pleats in said band with the radial foldsof one pleat substantially coinciding with the radial folds of adjacent pleats. the pleats being folded in the same circumferential direction with the underfold of one pleat substantially coinciding with the upp fold of the preceding pleat. I

8. Bufling wheel unit comprising -a radially pleated annulus having the pleats folded in the same direction circumferentiaily with the underfold of one pleat substantially coinciding with the upper fold of the preceding pleat, said annulus comprising a band constituted by a plurality of split textile fabric annuli serially joined along their radial edges, the warp and weft threads of adjacent annuli making an angle adjacent one another at said joint. whereby the plural plies pleats lying in thesame direc- .formed within the angular amplitude of the pleat have the threads of the fabric intersecting the circumference 'of the buiiing wheel at different angles. f

the under-fold of one sheets of fabric having a series 9. Buffing wheel unit comprising a. radially pleated annulus having the pleats folded in the same direction circumferentially with the underfold of one pleat substantially coinciding with the upper foldof the preceding pleat, said annulus comprising a band constituted by a plurality of split textile fabric annuli serially joined along their radial edges, the warp and weft threads of adjacent annuli making an angle with one another at said joints. whereby the plural plies thus formed within the angular amplitude of a pleat have the threads of the fabric intersecting the circumference at different angles, and the threads of the fabric of adjacent pleats being relatively angularly disposed. 4

10. A bufling wheel comprising a plurality of woven fabric disks. each disk having a radial slit and contracted into sectors of regularly spaced pleats having radialfolds diverging outwardly from the center thereof, said pleated sectors being arranged about the center of the wheel in superimposed layers, and a row of stitching through said layers of pleated sectorsisthe wheel thereby presenting a plurality of regularly spaced pockets at its peripheral working surface.

11. A buifing wheel comprising a plurality of woven fabric disks, each disk having a radial slit and folded into a sector of regularly spaced pleats having radial edges diverging outwardly from the center thereof, said pleated sectors being arranged about the center of the wheel in superimposed layers, to present regularly spaced pockets at the peripheral working surface of the wheel.

12. A bufling wheel comprising a plurality of woven fabric disks, each disk being contracted into pleats having radial folds diverging outwardly from the center thereof. said pleated disks being arranged about the center of the wheel in superimposed layers.

13. A bufiing wheel comprising a series of layers of fabric and each layer consisting of several sheets of substantially disk or semi-disk shaped fabric having therein a series of regularly spaced, I

flattened radial pleats to present a plurality of regularly spaced pockets at the peripheral working surface of the wheel., a

14. A bumng wheel comprising a series of layers of fabric and each-layer consisting of several of regularly spaced, flattened radial pleats.

15. A buffing wheel comprising a series of layers of fabric and each layer consisting of several sheets of substantially disk or semi-disk shaped fabric having therein a series of flattened radial pleats.

'16. A bumng wheel comprising a series of layers of fabric and each layer consisting of several sheets of fabric having a series of flattened radial pleats.

CLAY A. SAYERS. 

